Every little helps in Streatham

Founded in 1919 by Jack Cohen, over the last 95 years Tesco has steadily grown to become a global retailer serving millions of customers each week.

Tesco employs 530,000 members of staff, operates in 12 countries around the world and is committed to providing the best shopping experience to everyone who walks through its doors.

Keen to provide the best possible service to its customers, staff and the local community, Tesco recently teamed up with Lambeth Council as part of a joint venture to bring a number of exciting new opportunities to Streatham. The Streatham Hub Development is a £26 million pound project designed to enhance the value of the local community through the provision of new homes, a fantastic new leisure centre and a significant number of employment opportunities.

A total of 250 homes are being constructed as part of Streatham Hub Development, comprising a mix of private, shared-ownership and socially rented homes. Joining the properties is a 63,000 sq ft Tesco superstore, a 540-space car park, a new bus interchange for Transport for London (TfL) and a new public space.

The development also includes a new leisure centre comprising an ice rink, swimming pool, sports hall, community and dance studios and a fitness studio. The ice rink includes 1,000 rink side seats for spectators, skaters and ice hockey team the Streatham Redskins, whilst swimming facilities include a six-lane, 25 metre swimming pool and a 13 metre teaching pool.

Lambeth Council Leader, Cllr Lib Peck, said:

“The entire project has been a triumph of design and construction. I know people will be very impressed when they see it. What’s really exciting is that this is more than a leisure centre, it’s created hundreds of homes and jobs too, but none of it would have been possible without our partnership with Tesco.

“We have worked incredibly hard on this project, and as the leader of Lambeth Council I was determined that the Streatham would deliver the greatest possible benefit to our residents.”

Michael Aukett Architects is providing all architectural services on the project.

As well as providing new facilities for the surrounding community, Streatham Hub Development has also seen the introduction of up to 1000 new jobs, with 300 coming directly through Tesco. Working with Lambeth Council and Job Centre Plus, the retailer offered a quarter of the jobs to local people who had been out of work for at least six months. Not surprisingly people applied for jobs in their hundreds, however, the quarter recruited locally were chosen due to their spirit and determination to return to work.

Streatham MP, Chuka Umunna, said:

“There are far too many people who have been out of work for far too long, just looking for a chance, and I am so pleased that this project is delivering jobs for local people.”

Since 1999, more than 6,000 long term unemployed people have taken part in Regeneration Partnership schemes at approximately 60 Tesco stores throughout the UK. Tesco works alongside the local authority and Job Centre Plus in each instance to choose the correct candidates regardless of previous experience.